Knowledge Is Power: The Last Reader

The meeting took place in a private room above a restaurant that pretended not to know its customers.

That was the sort of place Edward Colston preferred. No signs. No questions. No unnecessary witnesses. The kind of establishment where wealthy men conducted business that would never appear in any official record.

Aria sat across from him with her hands folded neatly in her lap. She had transformed completely—her hair was pure white, her skin was pale, her eyes were almost colorless, and the white dress Kelme had bought her fit perfectly now.

Kelme sat beside her, looking considerably less comfortable. Under the table, his foot was already prepared—a warning system they’d developed over weeks of disastrous decisions.

Aria had learned something important about Kelme’s charm. It didn’t make people mindless. It made them more willing to accept ideas they would normally reject. Which meant Kelme couldn’t simply tell Colston to walk into an army trap—that would be suspicious. But if Aria gave Colston a questionable idea, Kelme could make it sound reasonable.

That was the theory.

Across the table, Edward Colston studied Aria. His eyes lingered on her far longer than they should have. Aria noticed. She kept smiling. Inside, she wanted to throw the table at him.

Disgusting.

Beside Colston stood two guards. Behind them were several servants. No. Not servants. Slaves. Aria’s smile almost disappeared as she watched them—silent against the wall, no conversation, no complaints, no expressions. Just waiting. Waiting for instructions.

One of them looked at Aria for half a second, then immediately lowered his eyes. Aria felt something twist in her chest. They didn’t move like people who were waiting to be spoken to. They moved like objects waiting to be picked up.

Colston noticed her looking. "Don’t concern yourself with them."

Aria turned back to him. "I’m sorry?"

"The people." He waved his hand dismissively. "They’re merchandise."

Aria smiled politely. "Of course."

Kelme’s foot tapped hers beneath the table. Careful.

Aria understood. She looked back at Colston. "I’ve heard you’re selective about the people you purchase."

Colston smiled. "I’m selective about everything."

"Good." She leaned forward slightly. "Then perhaps we have something worth your time."

Colston’s expression changed—not much, but enough. "Perhaps."

Aria placed a document on the table. Colston glanced at it. He didn’t touch it.

"What’s that?"

"A list of people that couldn’t pay what they owe from our sugar business. I’m sure you’ve heard of it, right?"

His eyes narrowed, pretending he didn’t care—the spirit of a true merchant ready to haggle.

"You’re the woman who arranged this meeting?"

"I am."

"Who are you?"

Aria smiled. "Someone who has a problem."

Colston leaned back. "Everyone who comes to me has a problem."

"Mine is simple." She pushed the pouch toward him. "I have sugar."

Colston glanced at Kelme. "And?"

"And I sold it to people who couldn’t pay."

Colston said nothing.

"They can’t pay with money. But every human is worth something."

Colston’s eyebrow lifted. "You want to sell them to me?"

Silence. Aria let it hang there.

Colston finally asked, "I have other sources. Better. Safer. This is sloppy work. I don’t do that."

"Come on, don’t be like that. We’re criminals. All our work is sloppy, and you’re one of the biggest gods out there. I thought you liked sloppy. Don’t you like sloppy?"

Kelme’s foot hit her ankle—hard. Aria nearly flinched. Right. Less enthusiasm.

She softened her expression. "I don’t mean that cruelly."

Colston smiled, and for a moment he blushed. "Of course not." His gaze returned to her. "You understand how the world works."

Aria almost gagged. This perv is into me.

Instead, she smiled. "I understand that desperate people make desperate arrangements."

Colston leaned forward. "How many?"

"Enough."

"How many?"

"Twenty."

Colston immediately shook his head. "Too risky."

Aria expected that. "I understand."

"You don’t." He tapped the table. "Twenty people means twenty opportunities for something to go wrong. Guards talk. Captives talk. Someone escapes. Someone recognizes someone. Suddenly the authorities become interested."

"Then don’t take twenty."

Colston paused. Aria smiled, trying not to be nervous—she should have thought the details of the plan better.

"Take five."

He studied her. "Five?"

"The others can wait."

Colston frowned. "You expect me to believe you have twenty captives and you’re simply going to leave fifteen behind?"

"Why not? If you have twenty, you want to sell twenty."

"I want to sell five first."

"And why would you do that?"

"Because I don’t know you."

Colston’s eyes sharpened. Aria smiled pleasantly. "I need to know whether you’re reliable."

For the first time, Colston looked impressed. Kelme’s foot stopped moving. Aria had him.

Colston picked up the sugar pouch. He opened it. He examined the contents. His expression changed slightly.

"This is unusually pure."

"I know."

"Where did you get it?"

"That’s not important."

"It is to me."

Aria smiled. "Then perhaps we’re not ready to do business."

Colston’s eyes narrowed. There it was—the first real shift. Aria had learned something from watching people: the easiest way to make someone want something was to threaten to take it away.

She stood. "We can leave."

Colston immediately said, "Sit."

Aria sat. Kelme looked at her. She didn’t look back.

Colston smiled. "You are confident."

"Usually."

"Usually?"

"When I know what I’m doing."

"And do you?"

Aria smiled. "Do you?"

Colston laughed—a short, unpleasant laugh. "I don’t meet many people who speak to me like that."

"Then you should meet more interesting people."

Kelme kicked her again. Aria almost sighed. Stop kicking me.

Colston looked between them. "Your companion doesn’t speak much."

Kelme smiled. "I prefer listening."

"Wise."

"People reveal more when they think you’re quiet."

Colston’s smile faded. Kelme had delivered the line perfectly—not threatening, not suspicious, just enough to make Colston wonder.

Aria continued. "So." She folded her hands. "If you don’t want twenty, we can discuss five."

Colston shook his head. "No."

"Three?"

"No."

"One?"

"Absolutely not."

Aria tilted her head. "Then what do you want?"

"I want to see them first."

Aria smiled. "Of course."

"Here."

"No."

Colston’s expression hardened. "Why?"

"Because this place is yours." She gestured around the room. "Your people. Your guards. Your walls."

"So?"

"So if you dislike the arrangement, I have nowhere to negotiate."

Colston leaned back. "You’re afraid of me?"

"Of course." That surprised him. Aria smiled. "Anyone who says they’re not afraid of you is either lying or stupid." She paused. "But fear doesn’t mean stupidity."

He smiled. "Where, then?"

Aria hesitated. This was the moment—the meeting, the location, the trap. She needed to make it sound like his idea.

"There’s an abandoned warehouse near the eastern market."

Colston immediately shook his head. "Too exposed."

Aria nodded. "You’re right."

Kelme looked at her. Don’t ruin it.

Aria continued. "There’s another place. A storage building outside the southern district."

"Too close to the city."

"You’re right again."

Colston frowned. Aria smiled. "You seem very concerned about safety."

"I am."

"Then perhaps you should choose the location."

Colston paused. Kelme’s eyes widened slightly. Aria had just handed him the decision.

Colston began thinking. Then he said, "There’s an old mill."

Aria’s heart jumped. There. She kept her face calm. "Where?"

"Two miles outside the southern road."

"Private?"

"Abandoned."

"Guards?"

"None."

"Perfect."

Colston immediately shook his head. "No."

Aria blinked. "You just suggested it."

"I said I know the place."

"Then what’s wrong with it?"

"It’s still too risky."

Aria leaned back. "Then forget it."

Colston looked at her. Aria picked up the sugar pouch. "Clearly we’re wasting each other’s time."

She stood. Kelme’s foot pressed against hers—not a kick this time, a warning. Wait.

Aria sat back down. Colston watched her. Then Kelme spoke.

"Perhaps you’re looking at this incorrectly."

Colston turned. "How?"

Kelme leaned forward. "You keep thinking about what could go wrong."

Colston’s expression tightened. "Because things go wrong."

"Of course." Kelme smiled. "But think about what you gain if nothing does."

Colston stared at him. Kelme continued. "Five people. And connection with the unusually pure sugar. You can expand your kingdom. Of course you want to—you’re not in it for the money. What we do is not the slave business or the sugar business. It’s the empire business. And we can give you that."

Colston was listening. His charm was subtle, almost invisible. Kelme wasn’t forcing him. He was simply making the dangerous option sound slightly more reasonable.

"The mill is isolated," Kelme said. "You choose the time. You bring whoever you trust. If you don’t like what you see, you leave."

Colston looked at Aria. "And you?"

"I’ll be there."

"Alone?"

"With him." She pointed toward Kelme.

Colston smiled. "You trust him?"

"Enough."

Kelme raised an eyebrow. "That’s touching."

Aria kicked him. Colston laughed. For a moment, the tension disappeared.

Then he looked back at Aria. "I want to know something."

"What?"

"Why are you dressed like that?"

Aria froze. Kelme’s foot immediately slammed against hers.

She smiled. "Like what?"

"White." He gestured toward her dress. "Everything."

Aria forced herself not to look disgusted. "I like white."

"So do I."

"I noticed."

Colston smiled. "Then perhaps this meeting was meant to happen."

Aria smiled back. Please stop talking.

She glanced toward the slaves. One of them was staring at the floor. Another stood perfectly still. A third had a bruise on his cheek. Aria’s fingers tightened beneath the table. She wanted to expose Colston immediately. She wanted to stop pretending.

But that wasn’t the plan. Not yet. She needed him to walk into the trap.

She looked back at him. "The mill."

Colston nodded. "Tomorrow."

"Morning?"

"No."

"Evening?"

"After sunset."

"Fine."

"Bring the five."

Aria smiled. "I will."

"And the sugar."

"Of course."

Colston stood. "So we have a deal?"

Aria extended her hand. He took it.

"Until tomorrow."

She smiled. "Until tomorrow."

---

They left the room. The moment the door closed behind them, Aria stopped smiling.

"That man is disgusting."

Kelme exhaled. "You almost ruined everything three times."

"Three?"

"Four."

"You were flirting too much."

"I kicked you four times."

"I thought that was because you were nervous. And I wasn’t flirting—I was simply trying to grab his attention."

"I was nervous because you kept saying the wrong things that would make him obsessed with you. Men are built different. One smile and they start making fantasies in their head. And believe me, you don’t want to be part of a twisted man’s fantasy."

Aria ignored him, thinking he was making a big deal out of nothing. Then she looked back at the closed door. "The slaves..."

Kelme’s expression softened. "I saw them."

"They looked like they had forgotten how to be people."

"I know."

Aria’s hands curled into fists. "We’re taking him down."

Kelme nodded. "Yes."

She smiled. "Tomorrow."

Kelme looked at her. "Tomorrow."

Then Aria stopped. "...Wait."

"What?"

"The army."

"What about them?"

"We haven’t told them yet."

Kelme’s face changed. "You were supposed to call them."

"I know."

"You said you would."

"I know."

"Aria."

"I forgot."

Kelme stared at her. "You forgot to tell the army where the biggest slave trader in the kingdom is meeting us?"

Aria smiled nervously. "Technically, the meeting is tomorrow. And we still haven’t confirmed it yet, so shut up."

Kelme closed his eyes. "That doesn’t make it better."

"It gives us time."

"For what?"

Aria turned off the magical mask. Kelme stared at it. She grinned.

"To make sure the army sees the right woman."

Kelme looked toward the street, then back at her. "And what happens if Colston brings more guards than expected?"

Aria’s smile faded. "We run."

"And if the army arrives too early?"

"We run."

"And if they arrive too late?"

"We run."

"And if they recognize you?"

Aria held up the mask. "We run."

Kelme sighed. "You really built this entire plan around running away."

Aria smiled. "No." She put the mask away. "I built it around making sure he has nowhere to run."

---

Far behind them, on the second floor of the restaurant, Edward Colston stood at the window.

He watched the two strangers disappear into the crowd. Then he looked down at the white sugar pouch in his hand. His expression changed. He smiled.

He had spent years surviving because he never trusted anyone. And yet tomorrow—for the first time in a very long time—he was going to walk into an abandoned mill because a mysterious woman in white had asked him to.

He had no idea that the army was already waiting for him.

And Aria had no idea that Colston had just made one decision that could destroy their entire plan.